Soccer team is MAC Champions
The Central Michigan University women’s soccer team is the Mid-American Conference champion, defeating Miami University 1-0 Sunday at the CMU Soccer Complex.
The game was the program’s first MAC Championship. We congratulate the team on a terrific season, a record-setting shutout streak that lasted more than 1,200 minutes during the season and for a quick turnaround with a new coach (Tom Anagnost).
Outside of football and wrestling, the soccer team is the latest team to win a championship since field hockey won a title in 2005. The team was awarded a stellar amount of awards for the 2009 season, including the MAC’s first defensive Player of the Year going to Shay Mannino and MAC Freshman of the Year awarded to Bailey Brandon.
Anagnost deserves quite a bit of respect for building the soccer team into championship material, especially after replacing with former coach Tony DiTucci, who was dismissed Sept. 24, 2008, after allegations of misconduct were made to the athletics department.
The team could have fell apart after that. Yet this is the second season in a row that Anagnost was named MAC Coach of the Year.
The championship gives the soccer team automatic entry into NCAA tournament — which is a first. The Chippewas will face stark competition, potentially playing a Big Ten team in the first round. While dominant in the MAC, it is unknown how CMU will do against a tougher conference.
Toledo, a MAC powerhouse over the years, did not fare too well in the past against the top teams in the nation. But then again, Toledo has never had as big of a winning season as Central did.
The soccer team should be proud, no matter what happens in the NCAA. Its 17-game unbeaten streak and its previous 13-game shutout streak set records. With most of the key players being fairly young, the soccer team will no doubt be a strong force in the MAC for at least another season to come.
It is great to see other teams outside of football and wrestling win MAC chapionships. Hopefully, the soccer team can transfer its shutout streak to the national level and make some headway in the NCAA.
